Dracaena - One year to write this plant tip #2

I told you about the Plant Tip that took a whole year to write. In case you missed our Dracaena fragrans "experiment" it you’ll find it here

I promised we would take a closer look at "What has or has not happened to the plant over the last year" in greater detail. So let’s dig in.

Here are the items we highlighted last time:

• Still in a 10 inch pot
• Received NO fertilizer
• Watered on a schedule
• Leaves are cleaned on a regular basis
• Root system has matured and filled out the pot but nowhere near ready to repot
• The plant has matured and the leaves have grown out

Lets look at them quickly and see how they relate.

Still in a 10 inch pot

To start off with the plant is still in a 10 inch pot. So many people make the mistake of running right home and repotting the plant. The root system is then disturbed and more moisture is kept around the roots. One of the first keys to having success with your plants indoors is maintaining a good root system.

Received NO fertilizer

Another problem that many new plant owners jump at is fertilizing. Most plants have plenty of fertilizer in the soil and in the plant to last for a long time. Its been over a year with no fertilizer and looking great.

Watered on a schedule

Our Dracaena was watered on a fairly regular schedule of every 7-10 days. I completely saturate the soil so there are NO dry spots. Then I allow the plant to drain completely so it doesnt sit in water.

Leaves cleaned on a regular basis

Dracaenas can pick up quite a bit of dirt and dust so the leaves are cleaned to remove the build up. I do this about once a month and it goes pretty quick.

The last 2 items are really the results to the first 4.

The plant has matured and the leaves have grown out

Last time you saw pictures of the leaves, how they had grown out and matured.

Root system has matured and filled out the pot… but nowhere near ready to repot.

Even though the root system did not completely fill the pot when the plant first came inside - take a look now, one year later. The plant has developed a pretty nice root system and filled the pot. Why? No sitting in water, No fertilizing to burn roots, clean leaves, soil completely watered regularly, and not repotted to allow the roots to grow more. Click - For a better look at the Dracaena fragrans root system.

All this care information and much more is in the eBook "How to Care for Your Dracaena".

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